Recovering Lawyers Who Are Now Writers by Debra H. Goldstein
Readers are quite familiar with stories of writers who were addicted to different substances that were reflected in their writing. These include Robert Louis Stevenson (cocaine- Dr. Jerkyl and Mr. Hyde), Ken Kesey (LSD – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), and Tennessee Williams (alcohol – e.g. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). Many have written about their journeys to sobriety/recovery. What hasn’t been mentioned is how many authors, including myself, are recovering law students, J.D. recipients, and sometimes still practicing attorneys.
After perusing several blogs and articles for their legal beginnings, some who now write literary or crime fiction include:
Elizabeth Strout – Syracuse University College of Law
Mary Jin Lee – Georgetown
Ben Fountain – Duke Law School
Charles Yu – Columbia Law School
Mohsin Hamid – Harvard Law School
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton – U.C. Berkeley School of Law
Adam Haslett – Yale Law School
Jane Pek – New York University Law School
Scott Turow – Harvard Law School
Meg Gardiner – Stanford Law School
Wallace Stevens – New York Law School
Richard North Patterson – Case Western Reserve University School of Law
John Grisham – University of Mississippi School of Law
Lisa Scottoline – University of Pennsylvania Law School
Robert Rotstein – UCLA School of Law
Robert Bailey – University of Alabama Law School
Jasmine Guillory – Stanford Law School
Pam Jenoff – University of Pennsylvania Law School
Allison Leotta – Harvard Law School
Marjorie M. Liu – University of Wisconsin
Theodora Goss – Harvard Law School
Brad Meltzer – Columbia Law School
Marcia Clark – Southwestern University School of Law
Leslie Karst – Stanford Law School
and, of course:
Erle Stanley Gardner who started law school in Indiana, was suspended, and later went to California, where he studied law on his own and passed the California bar.
Can you add anyone, including yourself, to my list?
What a great great list. Thanks for putting this together!
ReplyDeleteFun and almost humorous.
DeleteI didn't know that about Earle Stanley Gardner! Thanks, Debra!
ReplyDeleteOne of those moments of rabbit hole research.
DeleteA member of my critique group, Drew Stone, wrote The Remora Shadow, a thriller featuring Bryce Seagraves. Bryce is an attorney (no surprise there!) who has worked for the federal federal government and is now in private practice on Maryland's eastern shore. He's working on a second in the series.
ReplyDeleteI think most lawyers have a way with words, and I'm not surprised that so many gravitate to fiction writing.
ReplyDeleteIt beats what they write on an everyday basis.
DeleteLOL! Do paralegals count? Add me in then. And let’s not forget James Grippando, University of Florida, Barbara Levenson, University of Miami – and like our own Debra H. Goldstein, a retired judge. Krista Davis, George Mason University. I know there are more, but these three spring to mind.
ReplyDeleteParalegals definitely count. And the list goes on and on.
DeleteGary D. Baughman, University of San Diego Law School ('80), Retired Trial Attorney, Judge, MWA and SIC member, Gerry Spence acolyte--don't forget Gerry Spence, Wyoming cowboy lawyer who wrote books and movies--his group took up Erle Stanley Gardner's "Court of Last Resort" efforts and freed many prisoners who were not guilty...also was the real-life attorney on "Silkwood," (movie starring Cher). Don't forget Alexander McCall Smith who writes the First Ladies Detective Club. David Baldacci, Sonya Steele (SIC/MWA member and mystery writer in LA). Jeffrey Deaver, Robert Dugoni (Stanford/UCLA Law School, thriller writer). So many. Lawyers are such good writers.
ReplyDeleteFun list! Add me -- University of Notre Dame Law School. Keenan Powell -- hmm, McGeorge? I'll think of more as soon as I sign off!
ReplyDeleteTwist Phelan -- Stanford, I think.
DeleteMargaret Morse—Arizona State University, Public Defender 25 years in adult and juvenile court, writes a series featuring lawyer Petra Rakowitz, sho solves murder cases while learning to handle her new identity as a witch
ReplyDeleteKerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher), John Mortimer (Rumpole of the Bailey),Cathy Pickens, Jeffrey Siger (Andreas Kaldis police procedurals take place in Greece)
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Deaver, Linda Fairstein
ReplyDelete